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* THE GLASS FACTORY. *
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¤$*:-..... SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST .....-:*$¤
@¤$*:-.... BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ....-:*$¤@
@@¤$*:-... THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ...-:*$¤@@
#@@¤$*:-.. NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ..-:*$¤@@#
##@@¤$*:-. SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN .-:*$¤@@##
#@@¤$*:-.. STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ..-:*$¤@@#
@@¤$*:-... FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ...-:*$¤@@
@¤$*:-.... THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ....-:*$¤@
¤$*:-..... AND A GIFT SHOP. .....-:*$¤
$*:-...... ......-:*$
*:-....... THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY .......-:*
:-........ MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ........-:
-......... CONSIDERED POOR. .........-
.......... ..........
.......... THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ..........
.......... DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ..........
-......... YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, .........-
:-........ REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ........-:
*:-....... CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND .......-:*
$*:-...... LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ......-:*$
¤$*:-..... PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, .....-:*$¤
@¤$*:-.... SOME ARE SHATTERED. ....-:*$¤@
@@¤$*:-... ...-:*$¤@@
#@@¤$*:-.. THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ..-:*$¤@@#
##@@¤$*:-. A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT .-:*$¤@@##
#@@¤$*:-.. GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ..-:*$¤@@#
@@¤$*:-... VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ...-:*$¤@@
@¤$*:-.... TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ....-:*$¤@
¤$*:-..... GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. .....-:*$¤
$*:-...... ......-:*$
*:-....... ** .......-:*
:-........ ** ** ........-:
-......... ------- * * ------- .........-
.......... ** ** ..........
.......... ** ..........
.......... ..........
-......... I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE .........-
:-........ OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ........-:
*:-....... OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD .......-:*
$*:-...... DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ......-:*$
¤$*:-..... BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF .....-:*$¤
@¤$*:-.... DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ....-:*$¤@
@@¤$*:-... ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ...-:*$¤@@
#@@¤$*:-.. LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ..-:*$¤@@#
##@@¤$*:-. WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. .-:*$¤@@##
#@@¤$*:-.. ..-:*$¤@@#
@@¤$*:-... HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ...-:*$¤@@
@¤$*:-.... HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ....-:*$¤@
¤$*:-..... IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY .....-:*$¤
$*:-...... INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ......-:*$
*:-....... IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM .......-:*
:-........ WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ........-:
-......... OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. .........-
.......... ..........
.......... THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ..........
.......... HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ..........
-......... LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND .........-
:-........ TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ........-:
*:-....... A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH .......-:*
$*:-...... STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ......-:*$
¤$*:-..... BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN .....-:*$¤
@¤$*:-.... ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ....-:*$¤@
@@¤$*:-... LIT FROM BEHIND. ...-:*$¤@@
#@@¤$*:-.. ..-:*$¤@@#
##@@¤$*:-. I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT .-:*$¤@@##
#@@¤$*:-.. THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ..-:*$¤@@#
@@¤$*:-... WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ...-:*$¤@@
@¤$*:-.... LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ....-:*$¤@
¤$*:-..... ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, .....-:*$¤
$*:-...... AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ......-:*$
*:-....... OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. .......-:*
:-........ ........-:
-......... ** .........-
.......... ** ** ..........
.......... ------- * * ------- ..........
.......... ** ** ..........
-......... ** .........-
:-........ ........-:
*:-....... MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE .......-:*
$*:-...... STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ......-:*$
¤$*:-..... IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, .....-:*$¤
@¤$*:-.... IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ....-:*$¤@
@@¤$*:-... IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ...-:*$¤@@
#@@¤$*:-.. DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ..-:*$¤@@#
##@@¤$*:-. CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO .-:*$¤@@##
#@@¤$*:-.. SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ..-:*$¤@@#
@@¤$*:-... PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ...-:*$¤@@
@¤$*:-.... ....-:*$¤@
¤$*:-..... THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT .....-:*$¤
$*:-...... THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ......-:*$
*:-....... THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM .......-:*
:-........ A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ........-:
-......... SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING .........-
.......... HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I ..........
.......... SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO ..........
.......... THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ..........
-......... IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL .........-
:-........ CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ........-:
*:-....... ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. .......-:*
$*:-...... ......-:*$
¤$*:-..... THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, .....-:*$¤
@¤$*:-.... WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ....-:*$¤@
@@¤$*:-... CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ...-:*$¤@@
#@@¤$*:-.. BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ..-:*$¤@@#
##@@¤$*:-. FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE .-:*$¤@@##
#@@¤$*:-.. BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING ..-:*$¤@@#
@@¤$*:-... DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ...-:*$¤@@
@¤$*:-.... TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ....-:*$¤@
¤$*:-..... DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY .....-:*$¤
$*:-...... FLOOR. ......-:*$
*:-....... .......-:*
:-........ HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ........-:
-......... KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE .........-
.......... LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, ..........
.......... WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ..........
.......... PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ..........
-......... HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. .........-
:-........ THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ........-:
*:-....... .......-:*
$*:-...... I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ......-:*$
¤$*:-..... WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO .....-:*$¤
@¤$*:-.... MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ....-:*$¤@
@@¤$*:-... WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ...-:*$¤@@
#@@¤$*:-.. THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT ..-:*$¤@@#
##@@¤$*:-. VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, .-:*$¤@@##
#@@¤$*:-.. BECOME STILL. ..-:*$¤@@#
@@¤$*:-... ...-:*$¤@@
@¤$*:-.... ** ....-:*$¤@
¤$*:-..... ** ** .....-:*$¤
$*:-...... ------- * * ------- ......-:*$
*:-....... ** ** .......-:*
:-........ ** ........-:
-......... .........-
.......... A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ..........
.......... AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ..........
.......... BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ..........
-......... STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, .........-
:-........ CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ........-:
*:-....... FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, .......-:*
$*:-...... SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ......-:*$
¤$*:-..... AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. .....-:*$¤
@¤$*:-.... ....-:*$¤@
@@¤$*:-... SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ...-:*$¤@@
#@@¤$*:-.. THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ..-:*$¤@@#
##@@¤$*:-. GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND .-:*$¤@@##
#@@¤$*:-.. I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ..-:*$¤@@#
@@¤$*:-... THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ...-:*$¤@@
@¤$*:-.... ....-:*$¤@
¤$*:-..... I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. .....-:*$¤
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